Chinese Geography --- I, II, III, IV, V

Huang He (Yellow River) China's second longest river, Yellow River rises in Qinghai province and flows some 5,464 km to the Yellow Sea. Crystal clear lakes and lazy meandering are characteristic in its upper reaches. Along the Great Bend of the Yellow River in its middle course, the unruly river carves its way through the loessial plateau with substantial erosion taking place. As the river erodes the loess, it becomes a "river of mud", causing serious flooding almost every year.

What was once a scourge that plagued the Chinese people throughout much of their history continues to be one of China's great natural challenges preventing both flooding and drought in a region with more than 100 million people. Siltation at the mouth of the Yellow River extended the length of the river by approximately 35 km (20 miles) between 1975 and 1991.